Thailand News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.
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Sponsored See the best of Northern Thailand this winter on a budget
The Thaiger key takeaways Peak season brings higher prices, but smart planning and local know-how can help you experience Northern Thailand affordably. Chiang Mai, Pai, and Chiang Rai offer plenty of free or low-cost attractions, from temples and canyons to...
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Man gets marriage certificate tattooed on his forearm, ink presumably permanent
Yesterday, a Facebook post went viral after a man took his declaration of love one step further and had had his marriage certificate tattooed on his arm. On Monday, Om-Aim Daraployphan shared several pictures of her husband’s arm tat/proof of marriage on Facebook. The tattoo is bordered with green and pink flowers and takes up the majority of the man’s…
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Doctors ask the government to do a better job with their handling of vaccines
The Royal College of Physicians of Thailand is prodding the government to increase their vaccine efforts: to get vaccines faster and to get enough vaccines for Thailand inhabitants so herd immunity can be reached as soon as possible. Today, the RCPT chairperson, Dr Anutra Chittinandana said that the board of the RCPT thought it was crucial to issues a 2nd…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 4,662 new cases; provincial totals
Continuing on an upward trend in Thailand’s most severe wave of Covid-19, 4,662 new infections were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported 254,515 confirmed Covid-19 infections. Of that number, 225,652 were reported since April 1, the start of the recent and most extreme wave of…
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Sinovac vaccine 71% to 91% effective against Alpha variant, Thai study shows
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry says 2 doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine are 71% to 91% effective against the Alpha variant of the virus which was first detected in the UK. A study on the effectiveness of the Sinovac vaccine, also known as Coronavac, was done by Thailand’s National Communicable Diseases Committee and the National Vaccine Committee. The study…
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Suspect arrested in murder of noodle shop owner
A manhunt has concluded in the northern Thai province, Chiang Mai. Police were looking for a man who allegedly killed a 63 year old noodle seller. Despite being rushed to a hospital, the woman who had suffered stab wounds to her neck and back would later be pronounced dead. Police say they were called to a roadside noodle stand. Once…
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Google takes down customised maps targeting anti-monarchy activists
Custom Google maps pinpointing hundreds of people in Thailand who are accused of opposing the monarchy have been taken down by Google, the company told Reuters reporters. The Google My Maps targeting anti-monarchy activists, listing their names and addresses, were made by a team of 80 royalist volunteers who planned to report the activists for allegedly insulting the monarchy. Under…
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Chief medic says Delta variant will become dominant strain in Bangkok
The Department of Medical Sciences says it expects the Delta Covid-19 variant to become the prevalent strain in Bangkok within the coming months. The variant was first reported in Thailand in April, when it was detected in migrant workers in the Laksi district of the capital. The spread of the variant has sparked concern globally due to it being highly…
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Koh Larn to pilot Pattaya’s reopening to tourists
Koh Larn off the coast of Pattaya could be reopening to tourists in the near future. As Thailand prepares to reopen to foreign tourists by October, the Chon Buri island will serve as a pilot project for the area’s reopening. Pattaya Mayor Sontaya Khunpluem says the city is in favour of the Thai government’s 120-day reopening plan, a goal announced…
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Restrictions imposed in areas at risk of a “public health crisis,” spokesperson says
Disease control restrictions have tightened in Bangkok and surrounding provinces which are at risk of becoming a “public health crisis,” according to a Thai government spokesperson. The restrictions were published in the Royal Gazette over the weekend and went into effect today. Of the restrictions set for the next 30 days, restaurants in Bangkok and surrounding provinces are prohibited from…
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Monday Covid Update: 5,406 new cases; provincial totals
A significant uptick of 5,406 new Covid-19 cases was recorded today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, just as new restrictions are taking effect in Bangkok and other “dark red” provinces to curb the spread of the virus. Of the 249,853 Covid-19 cases recorded in Thailand since the start of the pandemic last year, the recent and most severe…
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Covid-19 screening centre in Bangkok temporarily closed to migrant workers
After many migrant workers infected with Covid-19 were reportedly abandoned at the Public Health Ministry’s Pre-Admission Centre in Bangkok, it is now temporarily closed to migrant workers. The centre is used to screen people who are infected with the virus before sending them to a facility for treatment. Apparently, a number of workers have been dropped off at the centres.…
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Asymptomatic patients in Bangkok can self-isolate at home while waiting for hospital bed
Amid an ongoing shortage of hospital beds, the Medical Services Department has agreed that asymptomatic Covid-19 patients in the Bangkok area can self-isolate at home until a bed becomes available. According to a Thai PBS World report, department chief Somsak Akkasilp says each patient will be provided with a thermometer and oximeter, allowing them to monitor their symptoms. Patients considered…
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Tourism Minister threatens to cancel travel stimulus if only some operators benefit
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister says if all operators cannot benefit from a domestic travel stimulus scheme, it may be cancelled. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says he will meet with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to ensure everyone in the sector can be helped by the scheme. According to the Bangkok Post, the government plans to launch the Tour Teaw Thai scheme…
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First case of Beta variant reported in Bangkok
Bangkok has reported its first case of the Beta variant of Covid-19, originally detected in South Africa. According to a Bangkok Post report, the patient had contact with an infected person in the southern province of Narathiwat. Hundreds of cases of the Beta variant have already been reported in southern Thailand and are believed to have been imported from Malaysia.…
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Dept of Medical Sciences warns against antibody testing kits
The National Department of Medical Sciences is speaking out against a growing trend of people trying to self-test regarding Covid-19. They are warning people against using home antibody testing kits in order to test the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine after they have received their inoculations. The Department warns that not only could test results be inaccurate, but a misunderstanding…
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Poll: Majority of Thai people against 120 day reopening plan
Who isn’t excited about the 120 day reopening plan announced by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha last week? Turns out nearly 74% of people in Thailand, that’s who. In a new poll by the National Institute of Development Administration, the majority of people surveyed were against the reopening in less than 4 months (the PM made his 12 day call last Tuesday).…
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Covid UPDATE: 3,995 new cases and 42 deaths, provincial totals
The public health department has announced another 3,995 new infections and 42 Covid-related deaths for Sunday. Only 45 more cases were detected in Thai prisons, a sharp drop off from a few weeks ago when the daily cases from prisons were in the 100s each day (more Covid updates below). The main outbreaks around Thailand are occurring in the capital,…
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Activist group seeks to dissolve ruling Palang Pracharath Party, PM’s resignation
An activist group that goes by the name Prachachon Khonthai (People Of Thailand, or POT), say they are filing a petition to dissolve the ruling Palang Pracharath Party next week. The 30 members strong group had come together yesterday on Phitsanulok Road, Bangkok. They gathered surrounded by 300 nearby police officers. The leader, Nititorn Lamlua, who was previously a People’s…
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Britain’s health minister resigns after affair breaks Covid guidance
The last thing I would want is for my private life to distract attention from the single-minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis Yesterday, Britain health minister, Matt Hancock resigned after admitting he broke Covid-19 guidance after kissing and “embracing” his non-wife/aide in his office. The move did not sit well with colleagues amidst the lockdown. Matt…
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Covid UPDATE Sunday: 3,995 new cases and 42 deaths
For Sunday the public health department have announced another 3,995 new infections and 42 Covid-related deaths. Only 45 more cases were detected in Thai prisons, a sharp drop off from a few weeks ago when the daily cases from prisons were in the 100s. The main outbreaks around Thailand are occurring in the capital, adjoining provinces, and provinces directly to…
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Covid UPDATE Saturday: 4,161 new infections, 51 deaths
For Saturday, the trend of new infections, and deaths, from Covid-related disease, remains on the rise. Today the public health department announced 51 deaths and 4,161 new infections of Covid-19. Only 72 were related to detections in Thai prisons, a further drop in prisoners testing positive for the coronavirus. As the Thai government is faced with its worst week of…
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Man wanted for attempted murder arrested on train
A man who slashed a relative for not helping with car payments has been caught on a train in Nakhon Si Thammarat. An arrest warrant had been out for Kitiphong since November of last year for attempted murder. Kitiphon was arrested on a train in Nakhon Si Thammarat. He allegedly confessed to the slashing. According to the police, Kitiphon was…
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Update list of high/medium/low risk countries for travelling to Thailand
Update: Under the “Phuket Sandbox” and “Samui Plus” travel models, travellers not only need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to be eligible to enter Thailand under the schemes, but they also need to be travelling from countries classified by Thailand’s Department of Disease Control as a low to medium risk for Covid-19. The DDC posts a new list on…
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Man allegedly steals almost 300,000 baht from monk
Police in Si Racha, a district south of Bangkok on the Gulf of Thailand have arrested 21 year old “Constitution” and have charged him with “snatching” and stealing at night from a monk. The monk was relaxing at a “motorcycle resting place”. “Constitution allegedly stole the monk’s cell phone and managed to extract a password for a bank app from…
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Pair allegedly steals phone cards valued at 240 million baht
Yesterday, 2 people have been arrested for allegedly stealing prepaid phone cards. Collectively, they caused north of 200 million baht in damages. The two phone card nabbing suspects are 43 year old Naret Chamnong and 46 year old Phatcharalak Waenwong. They are both former employees of a mobile phone operator. Police searched 2 locations yesterday in Bangkok and Saraburi, a…
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Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine approved for emergency use in Thailand
It’s been rolled out successfully around the world for several months now, with a seemingly high efficacy rate. And now, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has finally been approved in Thailand. The Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that the mRNA vaccine has been approved for emergency use in the Kingdom. mRNA vaccines work by instructing cells in the body to make…
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Covid-19 cluster found at children’s home outside Bangkok
A cluster of Covid-19 infections has been reported at a children’s home in the central province of Pathum Thani, with at least 33 children testing positive. The Bangkok Post reports that the children at the Rangsit Babies Home are all between the ages of 3 and 6 and 6 babysitters at the home are also infected. Apisamai Srirangson from the…
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5 million Moderna vaccines for Thailand, half of expectation
The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation said that only 5 million Moderna Covid-19 vaccines would be available at private hospitals, half as many as the 10 million total figure expected. The government of Thailand is giving free vaccinations using the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines, while they had approved Johnson & Johnson, Modena, and Pfizer vaccines for private use. They later rushed to…
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Covid-19 round-up for expats 2: Will your country give a vaccine?
With so much information swirling around the reopening of Thailand and the international tourism and vaccine distribution for foreigners, we thought we’d round up some updates for our readers about what your home country says about if you should travel to Thailand and how they are helping with a vaccine and the Covid-19 situation inside the Kingdom. The information in…
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Covid-19 round-up for expats 1: Should you travel to Thailand?
With so much information swirling around the reopening of Thailand and the international tourism and vaccine distribution for foreigners, we thought we’d round up some updates for our readers about what your home country says about if you should travel to Thailand and how they are helping with a vaccine and the Covid-19 situation inside the Kingdom. The information in…
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